By Pete O'Rourke, Transfer Correspondent

26th Mar, 2023 | 10:00am

Sources: Chelsea readying £100m Victor Osimhen bid as Champions League plan revealed

Chelsea are prepared to bid £100million for their top priority transfer target Victor Osimhen, sources have told Football Insider.

Blues boss Graham Potter is keen to add more firepower and goals to his side, and wants a natural centre-forward to be signed in the summer.

Napoli value Osimhen at around £100million and will hold out for nine-figure bids in order to let go of their star striker.

Chelsea are aware that they are unlikely to qualify for the Champions League next season which could make negotiations harder with Osimhen, but the London club are prepared to flex their financial muscle and enter a bidding war for the 24-year-old to give themselves the best chance of signing him.

Osimhen could replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Stamford Bridge, with the 33-year-old Gabonese striker facing an uncertain future with the Blues.

Football Insider sources revealed on Friday (24 March) that Chelsea are considering terminating Aubameyang’s £300,000-per-week contract at the end of the season.

Man United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Real Madrid have all been linked with a summer move for the Nigerian striker following his impressive campaign in Italy.

Osimhen has scored 25 goals in 29 games for Napoli this season, including four in five Champions League appearances.

The Naples side have stormed to a dominant 19-point lead in Serie A, and are set to face domestic rivals AC Milan in the Champions League quarter-finals this month.

Osimhen is currently spending his third year at Napoli after joining them from Lille in 2020 for a club-record £78.5million, making him the most expensive African player of all time.

In other news, Chelsea ‘going to lose a lot of money’ as they prepare to accept Edouard Mendy offer